Improvement in artificial leeches



FREDKWOLFF, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ARTIFICIAL LEEvCHS.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,306. dated October 30, 1866.

To all whom t may concer-n.:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WoLFF,

ot' the city and county of New York, State of New York, have invented a new Artificial Leech 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an exterior view of the instrument when contracted. Fig. 2 shows the instrument extended. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views of the instrument. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of. the same ready for use. Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of the instrument. Figs. 8 and 9 are viewsoi'an instrument which ma-y v be used as auxiliary to the artiticial leech.

stand my invention, I will describe its con struction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Arepresents the barrel oi' the exhausting-pump, which may be made of any suitable diameter and length, and which is open at one end and closed at the other end by means of a screw-cap, a, through which a hollow piston-rod, B, passes. The rod B 'has a piston, b, applied to its inner end, and a circular cap, C, applied to its outer end thus forming an exhaustingpump, by means of which a vacuum can be formed and blood drawn from the body.

Within the hollow piston-rod B is a pricker, o, which is formed on the end of a rod, G, which passes loosely through the center of the cap (l and through the center of the piston b, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This pricker-rod projects beyond the cap C, and has a buttonhead, d, applied on its outer end, and near the opposite end of this rod G a iiat button, g, is secured to it, which is of 4such diameter as to work loosely within the *hollow piston-rod B, and to serve as a centerin g-guide for the lower end ot' the rod G. Between'this button g and the screw-cap C a spring, c, is coiled around the rod G, which spring is compressed when' this rod is partially withdrawn from the cap C, as shown in Fig. 4, and, by its recoil, the pricker-rod will be quickly shot b ack to its pla-ce, as shownfin Fig. 3. To prevent any unpleasant noise and jar when the rod G is released after its spring has been compressed, I employ a button, of india-rubber, 7L, which is slipped over the sharpened end of the pricker-l rod,'so as to form an elastic cushion between the button g and the inner end of the pistonhead.

A nger-latch, D, is pivoted to the cap C, and acted upon by a spring, D, which forces the latch against the rod G. When this rod G has been drawn out a sufficient distance from the hollow rod B, the catch t will enter an annular groove, j, which is made in the pricker-rod, and arrest this rod 5 then, by press ing gently upon the outer end of the latch D,

the pricker-rod can be released, so as to al low the spring e to act upon it, as above nientioned.

rIhel pricker is constructed with three outi ting-edges, resembling the trunk of the comA mon leech used for bleeding, so that the wound made by it shall bleed freely, and also admit of being closed when a sufficient quantity of blood has been taken.

The depth of puncture can be readily adjusted by means of the sliding piston-rod -to which the pricker-rod is applied, and immedi-v ately after the wound has been made this pis ton-rod is drawn out slowly, so as to produce a vacuum in the barrel A, and thus draw blood from the wound. When the barrelAhas'thus been iilled with blood, it is removed from the wound, and if more blood is to'be. taken, a`

small air-pump, J, can afterward be used.

I do not desire to conne my invention to the precise construction of the instrument I claim as new, and desire to sccure'by-Let-A ters Patent, is-

1. The construction of the mechanical leech with a lancet or puncturing device, and with a suction-piston, in such manner that thelancet can be raised and set independently et' the piston operated to pun cture the skin, and then both the lancet and piston raised together, so as to draw the blood Within the same air-pump tube, A, in which the lancet and piston are arranged, all substantially in the mannen described. Y

2. The elastic cushion 7L, in combination with the stop b, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. Extending the lancet-handle through theV FREDR. WOLFF.

Ti tnesscs:

L. L. ARNOLD, R. KOERBER. 

